Sunday, November 22, 2015

Gangaikonda Cholapuram – Gangaikondacholan Lake

Gangaikonda Cholapuram – Gangaikondacholan Lake
The great lake, lying about two miles to the west of the temple and now called Ponneri (golden lake) is of historic interest. It is intimately connected with the history of the capital. Its existence prior to the advent of Rajendra-I is not known. According to Thiruvalangadu plates the tank was the liquid pillar of victory that Rajendra established to celebrate his conquest of Gangetic plains. If so, this is the biggest manmade lake known to exist in this country.
It is about sixteen miles in length and about three miles in breadth. At its extreme ends it has inlet and outlet channels that have gone out of use now. The lake itself has now been divided into two parts by a road running across, connecting Gangaikonda Cholapuram with Jayankonda Cholapuram in the west. The lake supplied water to the most running around the old fortification.
Rajendra I cherished the conquest of Gangai as the greatest event in his life and rightly assumed the title Gangaikonda chola. His capital was also named Gangaikonda Cholapuram. According to Thiruvalangadu plates, the generals who headed the Chola army on its Gangetic expedition brought the holy water of Ganges in golden vessels carried on the heads of vanquished rulers.

Rajendra himself went up to the banks of the Godavari River to receive his generals. The holy water was poured into the lake (a small part of it was also poured into the lion-well inside the temple) and the lake itself was named Cholaganga, a liquid pillar of victory.